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About Cullinan Tours

Come and enjoy with us exclusive surface and underground tours of the working Cullinan Diamond Mine.

This mine has produced some of the world's largest high quality gemstones and is the home of the world's largest diamond - the Cullinan (3106 ct).

Recently, a number of record braking blue diamonds have been found including a 122.52 carat diamond which achieved a value of US$ 27.6 million in 2014.

After visiting the mine, you will get the opportunity to visit the Cullinan Diamond Mine market for an unforgattable diamond and jewellery shopping experience.

Tours of the Cullinan mine

To arrange a tour of the famous Cullinan mine and learn more about its rich history and heritage contact us on above details.

Grace Masango - Cullinan Tours

Our Tours

Underground Tours:

Underground tours are conducted six days a week as following:

Monday and Friday at 10h30

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9h30

Saturday at 08h00

The duration is approx. 4 hours and children under 16 years are not allowed underground.

Mobile phones are not allowed underground. Please bring normal cameras if you want to take pictures underground.

Surface Tours:

Surface tours are conducted seven days a week at 10h00, 12h00 and 14h00.

Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours.

Please note that children under 10 years are not allowed to enter the mine.

Cullinan Diamond Mine

The Cullinan Diamond Mine is renowned as a source of large, high-quality gem diamonds, including Type II stones, as well as being the world’s most important source of very rare blue diamonds.

Cullinan earned its place in history with the discovery of the Cullinan diamond in 1905, the largest rough gem diamond ever found at 3,106 carats, which was cut to form the two most important diamonds in the British Crown Jewels. Many of the world’s most famous diamonds herald from Cullinan, and it continues to produce world-class diamonds under Petra’s stewardship.

The Cullinan orebody contains a major diamond resource of 195 Mcts, suggesting a potentially long life for the operation of +50 years.

Heritage

The Cullinan kimberlite pipe was discovered in 1902 and open pit mining commenced at the ‘Premier’ mine (as it was then known) in 1903. Ore extraction has been by underground mining methods since 1946. Ore extraction has varied between 2 and 5 Mt per annum and ore treatment between 2 and 7 Mt per annum.

The mine was renamed ‘Cullinan’ as part of its centenary celebrations and to link the mine to the illustrious heritage of the Cullinan diamond, which provided the two main polished diamonds within the British Crown Jewels (the 530 carat Great Star of Africa and the 317 carat Lesser Star of Africa).

Petra Diamonds initially acquired a 37% interest in the Cullinan mine from De Beers in 2008, but increased its direct interest in the mine to 74% in late 2009 when it acquired Al Rajhi’s holding in the mine. Petra Diamonds continues to mine the underground resource using block cave mining methods.

Cullinan is renowned as a source of large diamonds and frequently yields diamonds larger than 10 carats. Furthermore, it has produced over 750 stones weighing more than 100 carats, 130 stones weighing more than 200 carats, and around a quarter of all diamonds weighing more than 400 carats.

Cullinan is also renowned as the world’s most important source of blue diamonds, providing the collection of 11 rare blues displayed in 2000 at London’s Millennium Dome alongside the Millennium Star and which included the fancy vivid blue ‘Heart of Eternity’ (27 carats polished).

Since Petra Diamonds took operations over in 2008, Cullinan has produced the following important diamonds:

A 39.9 carat diamond which sold for US$8.8 million in 2008.A 26.6 carat diamond which yielded a fancy vivid blue and internally flawless 7.0 carat polished stone known as the ‘Star of Josephine’ and sold for US$9.49 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2009.A 507.5 carat white diamond known as the ‘Cullinan Heritage’ which was sold in 2010 for US$35.3 million.A 25.5 carat blue diamond which sold for US$16.9 million in 2013.A 29.6 carat blue diamond which sold for US$25.6 million in February 2014 and was then cut and polished into the perfect 12 carat ‘Blue Moon’.A 122.52 carat blue diamond which achieved a value of US$27.6 million in 2014.A 232 carat white diamond which was sold for US$15.2 million in September 2014.

Other notable diamonds historically produced from Cullinan include the Premier Rose (353 carats rough), the Niarchos (426 carats rough), the De Beers Centenary (599 carats rough), the Golden Jubilee (755 carats rough) and the famous Taylor-Burton diamond (69 carats polished).

The Cullinan Diamond as found, broken down and cut as crown jewels

Inquiries

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Date of Underground Tour as per below schedule

The duration is approx. 4 hours and children under 16 years are not allowed underground.

Underground Tour Schedule

10:30 am - Monday

09:30 am - Tuesday

09:30 am - Wednesday

Underground Tour Schedule

09:30 am - Thursday

10:30 am - Friday

08:00 am - Saturday

Date of Surface Tour as per below schedule

Surface Tours are conducted seven days a week at below times. Please note that children under 10 years are not allowed to enter the mine.